Off the Porch and Growling

Decided to stop by Manassas Clay on the way home today just in case the Kiln had ben loaded, fired and unloaded. Generally this is "sometimes" the case, but it is really a roll of the dice as it were. Anyway I was lucky and several pieces came out.

The first one is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle I threw a couple of weks earlier. It looks great with the green, and I like how the red iron oxide didn't ake in a couple of places. I suspect this is because the clay was compressed tighter here during the trimming of the pot. What I am not so happy with is copper carbonate. I put it on thicker than normal, and that was not such a wise idea. I think the copper carbonate needs to be thinner.

It has a nice looping handle, so the problem I have is the spout doesn't fit, I will need to get a cork with a spout instead. Next is the bowl, again with the standard - red iron oxide and soda ash and ellen's blue as a liner glaze. I also incised a flower on the side of the pot which turned out pretty neat.

Finally the cups, on both the cups and the bowl you'll notice the copper carbonate is very thick again. It's not such a bad look on the bowl and the cups, although it is not the look I intended. Its not such a stark contrast like with the green.

I trimmed a foot into both cups and I am getting fairly happy with how I make cups. Cups are something a couple of years ago I had trouble with, many years ago it was "S" cracks which are caused by not compressing the bottom well enough. Then it was handles "shudder" I used to avoid handles like the plague and then one day I just started making them over and over again until I got it - if not right, better. My biggest issue has been too much clay in the bottom of the cup. Now I like thicker coffee cups because I like my coffee cup to have some weight, and I think a thicker cup means better insulation - its subjective, still I had too much in the base of the cup. This has gotten much better over time.